MORPHOLOGICAL QUALITIES OF FRUITS OF THREE SPECIES OF Bromelia (BROMELIACEAE)

Abstract

In the dry tropics of Mexico there are native species with potential to generate innovative products, but little have been studied. With the aim of evaluating the morphological characteristics in fruits of three species of wild piñuelas, Bromelia palmeri, B. pinguin L. and B. karatas (Bromeliaceae) harvested in the Costa Chica region, Guerrero, Mexico, the study was carried out in Cuajinicuilapa, Guerrero México, during January-April 2020. Clusters from 10 plants were randomly collected from which four replications of 100 fruits were selected. The weight of the cluster, the weight per fruit, weight and color of peel, pulp and seeds were determined, the fruits per plant were counted, the polar and equatorial diameter of the fruit and seed was measured and the shape was recorded. Central tendency measures were obtained with the SAS statistical package. Bromelia palmeri presented fruits that weighed 22.12 g, attached with a pedicel to the floral scape, light yellow in color, they measured 5.43 and 3.11 cm of polar and longitudinal diameter, they have elongated shape, with 38.20 seeds that weighed 1.56 g. Bromelia pinguin has fruits of 12.72 g, light yellow color, polar and equatorial diameter of 2.99 and 2.77 cm, respectively, round shape, with 33.6 seeds, while the fruits of B. karatas weighed 19.66 g, measured 7.01 and 2.42 cm in length and width, respectively, they are pink:purple red, grow inserted in the apex of the stem and presented 49.94 % of pulp, considered the best quality. The three species had fruits with fibrous epicarp, joined to three locules of white, viscous and juicy mesocarp; the seeds arranged in a longitudinal row, with an average weight of 0.04 g, they are oval, round, brown to black color and white embryo. The fruits of the three bromeliad species have potential quality for consumption, but require additional research.